Do It In The Dark

From Ari Lewenstein ’16, Ellen Paik ’16, the Wesleyan Sustainability Office, and The People Putting All Those Creepy Yellow Numbers on Your Doors:

Hey all!

Wondering what all those yellow numbers on the houses mean? Want to know who’s been doing it and why? Good news, it was us!

READ AFTER THE JUMP TO SEE HOW TO DO IT IN THE DARK AND WIN COOL PRIZES (and also raise money for financial aid)!

Those numbers have been counting down to The Do It In The Dark energy saving competition which starts Tuesday, October 1st and runs through the end of November.

Do It In The Dark is split into two contests, program houses and woodframes. This way, you’ll only be competing against houses that work similarly to yours.

Here’s the deal: for the next two months, we’re going to be tracking how much heat and electricity your house uses. We’ll be comparing the data we get from your house to all the other houses on campus. Whoever saves the most energy wins! Here are 3 reasons you should make a conscious effort to save energy this fall:

1. Program Houses: You can win something awesome for your house! We want to make your house a better place! Tired of your old toaster burning one side of the bread and ignoring the other? Want to get a nice dinner for your house? We’ve got you covered for anything from party speakers to a ficus plant for that corner that needs sprucing up.

Woodframes: Need a house-dinner for some bonding time? Want to do some yoga but want money for toilet paper as well? We’ve got you covered! The woodframe winner of Do It In The Dark this semester will get a $150 gift card to spend around scenic Middletown.

2. Money we save on woodframe, program house, and dorm energy costs goes straight to financial aid thanks to Wes to Wes! Turning down the heat and taking short (or group) showers can help you, your friends, or a future Wesleyan student afford the cost of college.

3. There’s no better time to start changing the way you use energy than now. Right now we live in a 2,800 person community that is committed to changing the world. Every action, big and small is multiplied when we all coordinate our efforts. Now is the time to make a difference, and as a campus, we can.

Every time you do something to save energy, Al Gore giggles and future generations can breathe a little easier. Do It In The Dark helps your friends, your bank account and your planet, what’s not to love? If you have any questions, email wesustainability(at)gmail(dot)com.

Good luck, and happy saving!

Ari Lewenstein, Isabel Stern, and the Sustainability Office

Bonus tip for reading past the signature! Your electronics draw power even when they’re not on. Plug them into power strips and turn off the strip when it’s not in use.

Date: October 1st until November 30thPlace: Your program houses/woodframes